San Francisco 49ers notebook: Brandon Jacobs, frustrated over 'rotting away,' is inactive again

SAN FRANCISCO -- Disgruntled running back Brandon Jacobs was a healthy scratch for the 49ers' 27-13 win Sunday over the Miami Dolphins, which came in the wake of Jacobs' latest social-media rants about his lack of action this season.

The 49ers instead turned to rookie LaMichael James and Anthony Dixon as Frank Gore's backups. James had eight carries for 30 yards and a 15-yard catch in his debut, while Dixon's only carries were a 1-yard touchdown run and an 8-yard run to the 1-yard line.

Late last week, Jacobs turned to social media to vent his frustration. In response to a fan on Instagram, Jacobs replied: "I am on this team rotting away so why would I wanna put any pics up of anything that say niners. This is by far the worst year I ever had."

That remark prompted angry retorts from 49ers fans, to which Jacobs replied via Twitter: "I don't understand why people are angry at me because I wanna do what I am paid to do, I am a competitive person, I think people should be mad if I didn't wanna play, but I forgot the people that's pissed they don't have a athletic bone in their body."

Coach Jim Harbaugh declined to comment on Jacobs' posts when approached by The Associated Press after the game. Jacobs had five carries for 7 yards in the previous two games, his only action this season. Jacobs signed a one-year deal with the 49ers after winning his second Super Bowl in his seven seasons with the Giants.

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From David Akers' flawless kicking to C.J. Spillman's recovery of a muffed punt, the 49ers special teams proved quite helpful Sunday.

Akers made both of his field-goal attempts to stake the 49ers to a 6-3 halftime lead. Those 30- and 37-yard attempts were a positive step for Akers, who missed a 51-yard try a week earlier in overtime in a 16-13 loss at St. Louis.

Sunday's only turnover came courtesy of Spillman, their special-teams ace who pounced on Marcus Thigpen's muffed punt return at the Dolphins' 9-yard line. That recovery set up Frank Gore's 1-yard touchdown run two plays later for a 13-3 lead early in the third quarter. "It's just me going out and executing what we do in practice," said Spillman, who's been leading NFC special-teams players in Pro Bowl voting.

The 49ers' penchant for trick plays surfaced in the third quarter, and it nearly paid off with a 47-yard touchdown pass from Colin Kaepernick to Randy Moss on a flea flicker. Frank Gore took a handoff, flipped the ball back to Kaepernick, and Moss nearly snagged the bomb despite his right arm being held by cornerback R.J. Stanford. "We thought we were going to have six (points), but we just didn't come up with it," Kaepernick said.

Kaepernick's 50-yard rushing touchdown is the longest in franchise history by a quarterback, and his five rushing touchdowns are the most since Jeff Garcia set the team record with seven in 2003.

Wide receiver Michael Crabtree matched his career high with nine receptions (93 yards). Moss tallied two receptions for 30 yards on consecutive plays to set up Akers' second field goal. Both Moss and Crabtree declined to comment.

Backup defensive lineman Demarcus Dobbs sustained a right-knee injury in the second quarter, and Harbaugh indicated it might not be serious. Dobbs was inactive last game after a late-night car accident and an ensuing arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence and marijuana possession.

Dobbs talked before Sunday's game about an apparent drunken-driving accident a day earlier that killed the Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Brown. "The thing that happened in Dallas, it makes me grateful that God was looking out for me," Dobbs told The Associated Press.

Wide receiver A.J. Jenkins, the 49ers' first-round draft pick in April, made his on-field debut but saw no passes come his way.

San Francisco Giants closer Sergio Romo attended the game and ventured into the 49ers locker room afterward. "I've had the pleasure to meet a couple of them before -- Alex Smith, Carlos Rogers, Crabtree -- but to meet the rest of these guys, it's pretty sweet," said Romo, who listed tight end Vernon Davis as his favorite.

Wide receiver Mario Manningham (shoulder) did not play.

Miami's Reggie Bush, who had 65 rushing yards and 38 receiving yards, wouldn't go so far as to call the 49ers' defense the best he's faced this season. "No, ... because I thought we were able to move the ball pretty well on them most of the game," said Bush, who was body slammed by Donte Whitner on one tackle.

The 49ers have won 10 consecutive December home games, the longest such streak in franchise history.